Folding leg splint



March 1, 1960 B. D. PILE 2,926,662

FOLDING LEG SPLINT Filed Aug. 28, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent FOLDING LEG SPLINT Benjamin D. Pile, Bayside, N.Y., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application August 28, 1958, Serial No. 757,886

3 Claims. (Cl. 128---88) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to improvements in orthopedic devices and relates more especially to a folding leg splint embodying a pin and inclined plane which cooperate to provide a hinge which formsa rigid joint when the splint is in extended position yet which may be quickly and easily released for folding and is not subject to jamming by mud, sand, snow,ice or other foreign material which may become lodged in the hinge joint. This device also embodies structure which permits it to be used as a traction device. This novel device is light weight, strong, dependable and may be economically manufactured and is adapted to be used either in the hospital, for civil defense or military field service where compactness and utility of the device will expedite evacuation of casualties under tactical conditions.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a novel folding leg support structure for supporting broken leg bones of a fractured limb after being set until the leg is healed and restored to its normal functions.

Another ob'ect of this invention is to provide a de' vice for supporting a joint or articulation so that its members do not press or bear on each other or sustain weight of other portions of the body, although free to move normally.

Another object of this invention is to provide a splint which may be firmly secured to a patients leg in a plurality of places and which can be suitably adjusted for legs of different sizes and lengths.

A further object of this invention is to provide a splint which is adapted to be used by a non-ambulatory patient as a traction device for a broken or fractured leg.

A further object of this invention is to provide a surgical brace which, while in use, may be quickly transformed from a rigid brace to anonrigid brace by a directed push or pull. Another object of this invention is to provide a folding splint wherein the arrangement of the knee joint and locking means is such that the joint may be locked to make the splint rigid in an extended condition and may be expeditiously unlocked to facilitate bending of the leg of the patient, if desired for comfort purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel ambulatory leg brace structure having a calf section and a thigh section, each of these sections in cluding oppositely directed support or stay members wherein the members of one of the sections are in alignment with the corresponding members of the other section when the brace structure is in fully extended position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel hinge device having locking and release means therefor whereby the movable members of the hingev may be 2 rigidly locked in a straight aligned position and folded in an. unlocked condition to insure compactness and rigidness of the device when the device is incorporated in a surgical brace or other desired structures, such as tripods and other foldable supports.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel multi-purpose leg splint, brace and traction device to hospitalized patients.

Further objects andadvantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completely assembled splint with foot'support adjusted for immediate use as either a traction or ambulatory limb support;

Fig.2 is a detailed sectional view of the hinge and locking means of the splint showing in full lines the extended, locked and rigid position of the hinge, and in broken line the released position of a part of the hinge;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the hinge and locking means of the splint in a folded and unlocked position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2 showing the hinge and locking means in an extended, rigid aligned position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the upper or thigh end of the splint; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the adjustable connecting joint means between the foot support and duplicate longitudinal support members of the'splint.

The instant leg splint device may be used either as an adjustable splint means for an injured leg of a bedridden patient or may be used as a support means for the injured limb of an ambulatory patient, and may be folded into a compact unit when not in use to conserve space of storage or shipment.

In the description which follows it will be noted that the knee joint of each of the longitudinal support members of the leg brace or splint embodies hinge means connecting together the calf and thigh sections of the structure, such that the knee action of the device may be made flexible or rigid by a slight pull upward or push downward of the upper member of the device.

Fig. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the invention. Longitudinal support members it) and 11 cradle the injured leg of a subject. Longitudinal support members 10 and 11 are composed of stay or support members 12, 12a, 14 and 14a and locking pivotal joint means generally indicated by reference numerals 16 and 16a which are more specifically illustrated in detail by Fig. 2. Longitudinal support member 10 is composed of stay members 12, 14 and joint means 16. Longitudinal support member 11 is similarly composed of support mem bers 12a and 14a and joint 16a having release and look ing means which is identical to hinge means 16 of Fig. 2. The hinge structure of this invention, as shown in Fig. 2, may be operably interchanged in position, if desired, as a hinge means between sections 12, 12a, 14 and 14a, as for example, member 24 may be connected to either of members 14 and14a and members 20 and 22a may be connected to either of members 12 and 12a.

The calf section of the brace iscomposed of members 14, 14a and connecting means 50, while the thigh section of the device is composed of members 12, 12a and connecting means 30.

Fig. 2 shows in detail the joint and wedge locking means of each longitudinal support 10 and 11. Essentially, this joint means comprises a C-shaped, ring-Ilka portion 20a having a projection 22a formed integral therewith of the same thickness as the material of the ring-like portion 20a. A filler piece 20 is provided with an inclined surface 22. While a two-part construction such as at 20 and 22a has been shown, it is obvious that these two parts could be made integral. When a twopart construction is used a pin 51 is inserted through openings in the outer support member 14 and through apertures in the projection 22a and the filler piece 20 which are aligned with the openings in the outer support member 14 and secured against accidental removal to retain the projection 22a, filler piece 20 and support member 14 in aligned position. This enables the hinge members to be shifted or reciprocated relative to each other thereby adapting the hinge combination to be made as a rigid joint by pushing inclined surface 22 into contact with member 26. Hinge 16 may be made a pivotal joint by a slight pull on member 14 relative to member 12. Companion hinge and guide member 24, in the embodiment shown, has a channel-shaped cross section and receives a length of support 11. Hinge member 24 also contains a keeper or pintle member 26 which cams or engages tangentially the inclined wedge surface 22 when the joint means as shown at 16 and 16a are positioned in a rigid extended longitudinal position as shown, whereby the unique wedging action between the outer tangential surface of pintle 26 and inclined surface 22 constitute the wedge and locking means of pivotal joints 16 and 16a, as illustrated. Members 20 and 22a may be connected to members 14 and 14a by welding or other suitable means and member 24 may be similarly connected to members 12 and 12a, as desired. Another novel feature of instant invention resides in the new mode of operation of this type of device by the patient being able to positively lock and unlock the knee action of the leg brace quickly by a pushing or pulling action respectively of members 12 and 12a during walking.

Fig. 3 shows the pivotal and locking means of joint means 16 and 16a in a folded position with wedging surface 22 disengaged from the outer tangential surface of pintle member 26, as illustrated.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2 in which the pivotal and locking means of joint means 16 and 16a is extended in an aligned longitudinal locked position.

Fig. 5 illustrates the upper arcuate and padded pivotal means 30 for securing the splint to the thigh portion of the injured limb of a subject. Padded means 30 consists of an adjustable arcuate padded member 32 which joins by cooperating pivotal means 34 and 34a the distal ends of members 12 and 12a, respectively. Member 36 is an adjustable strap and buckle means operatively secured to the padded means of member 32 to comfortably and adjustably secure the upper ends of support members It? and 11 to the upper or thigh portion of an injured limb of a hospitalized patient.

Foot rest means 49, Fig. 1, as illustrated, is adjustably, cooperatively and slidably secured to the diverging stay members 14 and 14a respectively by the formed connection member 44 of Fig. 6 to provide a combination of a leg splint and traction device. it is to be understood that the shape of the foot rest 40 and connection 44 and their method of attachments may be modified by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. A stop 45 is formed on the frame of the foot rest 40 to limit movement of the foot rest 40 relative to the connection 44-. Foot rest or traction means 40 may also be uniquely used as a combination 7 foot rest and brace device when this leg support structure is used as an ambulatory brace for an injured or fractured leg of a patient.

Member 50, Fig. 1, is an arcuate U-shaped member having slightly flaring open ends which cooperatively 'telescope within or without members 14 and 14a and may be either of square or round shape, of rod and comating tubular material, respectively. The cooperative, telescoping reaction of member 50 with stay or support members 14 and 14a provides a novel rigid and adjustable length means to conform the length of the splint to various lengths of limbs of hospitalized patients.

When used as an ambulatory leg brace the instant invention may be lightened in weight, if desired, by removing foot rest 4th from the brace and by suitably wrapping members 14 and 14a in a manner to support calf portion of the patients leg and using adjoining member 50 of the calf section as a foot rest portion of the brace.

While there has been described what is at present con-' sidered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention.

I claim:

l. A foldable surgical brace comprising, a pair of spaced elongated side members having corresponding ends thereof transversely interconnected, each of said side members having first and second elongated sections longitudinally aligned and interconnected by hinge means, said hinge means including a longitudinal guide member secured at one end of said first section and containing camming pintle means and a second hinge member secured at one end of said second section including an inclined camming surface terminated in a substantially closed hook portion received in said guide member and cooperatively surrounding said pintle means, said pintle means and camming surface in assembled condition permitting a directed reciprocable movement between the hinge members in one directionto rigidly engage said cam surface and said pintle means locking the brace in an extended position and upon directed reciprocal movement in an opposite direction between said hinge memhere said pintle and cam surface may be disengaged allowing the brace to hinge in movement and be folded.

2. A hinge structure having first and second longitudinally aligned sections comprising hinged interconnecting means including releasable locking means joining said first and second sections, guide means carried by the end of the first section, camming pintle means carriedby said guide means, said second section having an end thereof configured to include a cooperating inclined plane cam surface terminating in a substantially closed hook portion, the ends of said first and second sections including said pintle means and said curved portion terminated cam surface disposed in longitudinal alignment and cooperating when in assembled condition for engagement and disengagement of said pintle means with said cam surface selectively upon reciprocable motion of said second section longitudinally with said guide means carried by said first section, said hinged interconnecting means forming a rigid joint preventing relative rotation between said first and second sections upon entry of the end of said second section including said cam surface into said guide means and engagement with said pintle means and upon disengagemet of said pintle meas with said cam surface forming a hinged joint connection.

3. A hinge structure having first and second longitudinally aligned sections comprising hinged interconnecting means including releasable locking means joining said first and second sections, guide means carried by the end of the first section, pintle means carried by said guide means and including a camming surface thereon, said second section having an end thereof configured to include a cooperating inclined plane cam surface terminating in a substantially closed hook portion, the ends of said first and second sections including said pintle means and said curved portion terminated cam surface disposed in longitudinal alignment and cooperating when in assembled condition for engagement and disengagement of said pintle means with said cam surface selectively upon reciprocable motion of said first section longitudinally relative K) aid second section, said hinged interconnecting means forming a rigid joint preventing relative rotation References Cited in the file of this patent between said first and second sections upon entry of the 7 end of said second section including said cam surface UNITED STATES PATENTS into said guide means and engagement with said pintle 1,515,466 Dore Nov. 11, 1924 means and upon disengagement of said pintle means with 5 2,052,990 Siebrandt Sept. 1, 1936 said cam surface forming a hinged joint connection. 2,413,634 Kolarik Dec. 31, 1946 

